The D5100 sits comfortably in the middle of Nikon's non-Pro DSLR lineup, carefully blending the features of the beginner-friendly D3100 with the image capabilities of the more expensive D7000. As such it features a 16.2MP CMOS sensor, 1080p (H.264) movie capability and an articulated 920k dot LCD in a relatively compact body. Like previous Nikons at this price it features a pentamirror viewfinder and 11-point AF system capable of tracking subjects by distance and color, as well as the still-improving full-time AF-F mode for use when shooting in live view mode. It also becomes the first Nikon DSLR to offer in-camera special effect filters while shooting either stills or video.

The D5100 sits just above the D3100 in Nikon's product lineup, and as such, it combines its younger sibling's ease of use with a slightly more advanced feature set. The D5100's trump card, however, is its advanced 16 MP sensor, inherited from the D7000. Judged on its own merits, the D5100 is a great camera, but we're concerned that an enthusiastic beginner might outgrow it faster than some of the competition.

Good for: Effective and easy to use features make the D5100 ideal for everyday photography/videography